How often do you hear an owner shout, ‘Bad dog’ when what really needs to be said is ‘bad handler’. When you are taking a walk down a sidewalk, it is indeed disturbing when a dog grabs at your clean clothes. Or your new neighbor has a huge dog that likes to leave piles of ‘calling cards’ in your front yard. Are these bad dogs? No, they are not any worse than the neighbor’s out of control kids. Why blame the animal (or the kids) when the adult who’s supposed to be in charge isn’t acting responsibly?
The dog must be taught to behave within some set parameters when around people. Ask any smart owner and he would tell you that it is wise to take the help of a dog trainer to learn the handling methods without dampening his natural spirits. Your vet office or local pet stores can put you in touch with trainers who hold group discussions with the owners along with their pet; or enroll in an online course to tackle any problems instantly.
Part of this training is to teach the owner how to handle their pet. There is a saying amongst trainers however that it is far easier to train dogs than the people that own them! You want to leash train your dog before you take him out in a park or public but before you do this you must get them accustomed to it first. Both owners and neighbors get angry when they hear barking which although irritating is quite normal behavior. Barking is normal communication so it is no good punishing them for what comes naturally.
It is usually lack of food, attention or the need for water that makes a dog bark. Remember burglars get scared when a dog barks; remember this the next time you punish him for barking because it may not be a wise decision. It is wrong to encourage a puppy to bark and then punish him for barking when he attains adulthood.
Any trainer can teach you skills on how to get the desired conduct from your puppy using the carrot as opposed to the stick You need to know how to reward your pet so they get the correct message and repeat the desired behavior or cease the less desirable traits. You can not teach a dog some behavioral pattern which contradicts his natural breed. In case you want certain particular behaviors, buy one which has that as part of the breeds make-up. Dedication, patience and a loving attitude are needed if you wish to train a dog.











